Editor: What follows is a letter sent to Canada Summer jobs by Sail Georgian Bay, and we would encourage you to publish it in The Meaford Independent as well;
We just received the "dear john" letter today and are truly disappointed that our request has not been accepted. We asked for five instructors, cut it down to two and even if you had helped us with one instructor, that would have been helpful.
What are we to do? We are trying to serve our community: we need 5 instructors to run a safe program. We have to pay minimum wages and more. We have to have WSIB. We have liability insurance. We pay the instructor's liability as well. They have to be trained professionally to meet the standards and this is costly too. 1700 students have been through the sailing school during the past 10 years. Is there any reason why we were not chosen?
Last year 2009 you helped us. I can tell you that it made the difference in making our program sustainable. Thank you.
We volunteers put so much time and energy into helping our community, giving children an outdoor program that helps them learn life skills, develop confidence, respect, team work, work ethics, as well as water safety that may prevent a drowning such as we had at Lake Eugenia a couple of weeks ago. Our program has grown with the students. As they become more proficient we provide work for High School and University Students and for other members of our community.
All children are welcome as long as they can swim 20 meters with a life jacket. We provide all the boats. We encourage kids with different challenges. Subsidies are available through donations from local groups and individuals. What more can we do?
It is not fair. Why offer a program and then turn us down? We believe in our youth. We are grandparents.
I hope that you will reconsider the decision.. come and talk to us.
Come and see a well run happy program that is building our future leaders.
Sincerely yours,
Rhoda Ironside (mother of 5 and grandmother of 14)
Treasurer
Sail Georgian Bay Inc
sailing from Meaford Harbour
519-599-5713
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